<p>ee33ee, I have the feeling that you are going to be fine at Swarthmore. My son spent a lot of time on similar activities in high school and on vacations as well. He had much less time to waste in college, because he was finally taking demanding courses that interested him. </p>
<p>I can understand your parents worries and I don’t actually have a real problem with the principle. They are paying after all. That said, I think I might structure it a bit differently. </p>
<p>You should get a bit of a break first semester when many kids, especially from less than stellar high schools are still figuring things out. I’d say you owe them (loans) for any course you flunk. And perhaps some portion for getting D’s. I think a B or better should be fine. Perhaps the deal with grad school is that it’s on you if you have a GPA below a certain number and don’t get a stipend. I also think your parents should reconsider what those numbers should be based on the lack of grade inflation at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Mini has some good points too.</p>